North Korea replacing faulty rocket, plans to push ahead with launch: Report

SEOUL (AFP) - North Korea is replacing a faulty section of a long-range rocket in a bid to put its launch schedule back on track, a South Korean newspaper reported Monday.

North Korea had said on Sunday it was considering delaying the launch - slated for some time between Dec 10-22 - because of unspecified "problems" uncovered by technicians at its Sohae satellite launch station.

But the Chosun Ilbo newspaper on Monday cited new satellite images that suggested the faulty component was being replaced to allow the launch to go ahead.

"A new third stage of the North's three-stage missile Unha-3 was seen being moved Saturday afternoon from a missile plant... towards the launch site," the newspaper quoted an unidentified government source as saying.